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The Pro Cycling Thread (Part 2)
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Edward_Sloley
22-02-2015
Originally Posted by stono:
“I think Id be more worried if TeamGB were sweeping the boards now, & setting world records in everything, because youd not sustain that kind of form till the Olympics, and there are things they can go away and look at and theyve still got the time to improve”

GB medal haul at the 2007 WCh was 7G 2S 2B - this is when the golden era truly began (and continued to Beijing).
On the flip side, their 2011 WCh haul (I think) was 2G 4S 3B, and Australia were dominant (as well as in 2010; then co-dominant with GB in 2012 WCh).
Originally Posted by stono:
“but almost certainly wont win the same haul of medals in Rio as at Beijing/London, but you know its like count how many medals we won in the 14 years prior to 2001.”

GB started the cycle well in the 2013 WCh with 5G 2S 2B - a better haul than in 2005 & 2009, and it seems like a long time ago now. It has been a pretty good 14 years since the 2001 WCh, but you probably can't sugarcoat a haul of just 3 medals...well, the silver lining () is that they were all won in Olympic disciplines.

Here's some food for thought - nowadays the Olympic track cycling programme is biased towards sprinters (6 of 10 disciplines, possibly 7 or 8 depending on the nature of the omnium fields). GB failed to win a single WCh sprint discipline medal for the first time in 17 years.

If having the 2016 WCh in London doesn't induce some kind of resurgence, I don't know what will.
grassmarket
22-02-2015
Geraint Thomas won the Tour of the Algarve, so a good week's work for Team Sky.
thenetworkbabe
23-02-2015
Originally Posted by stono:
“I think its a mixture of things, other nations have obviously caught up and perhaps even surpassed TeamGB in some respects though you could argue the Australians have been using dedicated sports institutes for training campuses for years, TeamGB didnt invent the manchester concept as such.

but you need the raw talent to go with it, and obviously losing the likes of Hoy and Pendleton from the sprint disciplines the next group coming through arent quite at their level, maybe they never will be, but you cant really tell without access to the data/times whether its just the team were off their best achievable performances, or that the rest were just better.

I mean in the Womens team pursuit, the Australians knocked 7 seconds of their national record & 3 seconds off the world record, TeamGB matched their own world record to within a 10th at least,went faster than theyd ever been at sea level and were down to 3 riders for a good chunk, which I still cant work out was intentional or not, only 1 other team posted under 4:20. so where do you pick out the bones from that, if thats our best chance at a Gold medal.

I think Id be more worried if TeamGB were sweeping the boards now, & setting world records in everything, because youd not sustain that kind of form till the Olympics, and there are things they can go away and look at and theyve still got the time to improve

but almost certainly wont win the same haul of medals in Rio as at Beijing/London, but you know its like count how many medals we won in the 14 years prior to 2001.”

The team pursuit seems to have been randomised by the changed numbers and distance. You now need 5 good people to allow a spare - not 4. And you need all 4 or 5 to be well and on peak form at the same time.Thats more difficult. I imagine for Australia this was easier coming off an Australian summer.

That spills over to Laura - who is the key to pursuit success, but now has an extra race to cycle before she gets to her omnium, and no one else as strong to come in /stronger competition stopping her missing a round of the pursuit. Laura then has to get all of her omnium events right, or win even more to win. If she doesn't give away a dozen points in the first race, and can score a few more elsewhere, tho she's looking very competitive - while her bete noir Hammer faded.

They may be able to do better- by learning from Australia, and finding/bringing back (Dani? ) some more power for the pursuit team.

Elsewhere, the mens pusuit team did well, but the problems in the sprints look more serious.
grassmarket
23-02-2015
Originally Posted by thenetworkbabe:
“
Elsewhere, the mens pusuit team did well, but the problems in the sprints look more serious.”

I think Jason Kenny needs to have a look at himself, he has gone from being one of the world's best to an also ran at an age when he should be coming into his peak.
Edward_Sloley
23-02-2015
You never know what you'll get with Kenny. He looked out of it in the Glasgow 2014 sprint and he almost pulled it off anyway. His qualification time in Paris was decent, but he was clearly caught napping.

At least the roadies are having a good season so far - Armitstead, Cav, Froome and Thomas have all won stage races (and stages) in the past month.
grassmarket
23-02-2015
Originally Posted by Edward_Sloley:
“At least the roadies are having a good season so far - Armitstead, Cav, Froome and Thomas have all won stage races (and stages) in the past month.”

I think that is part of the problem, now that there is clearly a route into highly lucrative professional ranks nobody wants to devote their whole career in the track team the way that guys like Chris Newton, Rob Hayles and Ed Clancy did.
Department_S
24-02-2015
Originally Posted by grassmarket:
“I think that is part of the problem, now that there is clearly a route into highly lucrative professional ranks nobody wants to devote their whole career in the track team the way that guys like Chris Newton, Rob Hayles and Ed Clancy did.”

Ed Clancy rides for professional road team JLT Condor? Also I think Rob won the British National Road Race Championships a number of years ago. Or are you saying they didn't interrupt their track cycling career and return to it?
grassmarket
24-02-2015
Originally Posted by Department_S:
“Ed Clancy rides for professional road team JLT Condor? Also I think Rob won the British National Road Race Championships a number of years ago. Or are you saying they didn't interrupt their track cycling career and return to it?”

I'm well aware that they did - I once saw Rob Hayles beat Stuart O'Grady for a stage win here in Edinburgh - but they were probably not even making World Tour minimum wage (currently €40,000 pa, I think). Certainly they would not have been on the lucrative contracts that former track team riders like Peter Kennaugh, Geraint Thomas and [forgotten the name of the Brit who was at BMC] are now getting, let alone Sir Brad.
gemma-the-husky
24-02-2015
it's gone to pot since Chris Hoy retired.

I reckon the French must have finally got proper round wheels
cmq2
24-02-2015
Originally Posted by grassmarket:
“ [forgotten the name of the Brit who was at BMC]”

The Liverpudlian, Steve Cummings - now riding for MTN Qhubeka

Froome doc on ITV4 tonight: http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-...sneak-preview/

Last year's winner, Stannard will start at Omloop this weekend with Wiggins. As usual it is not televised on ES so its a case of finding a dodgy feed.

KBK is televised on Sunday. Last year's edition was won by Boonen.
Edward_Sloley
24-02-2015
Will Cav still be with Etixx Quick-Step after his existing contract ends this year? According to team manager Patrick Lefevere, that'll depend on how he performs against his rivals on the WorldTour, particularly Kittel; such matches have added importance now that they've signed Gaviria (world omnium champion) for 2016/17, plus possible work as a stagiaire later this season.

Also worth adding there was a time when Greipel was a teammate back in the days of T-Mobile/Highroad...
cmq2
25-02-2015
Originally Posted by Edward_Sloley:
“Will Cav still be with Etixx Quick-Step after his existing contract ends this year?”

A win at Milan Sanremo would boost his prospects.

Kwiatkowski will mature to a GT rider alongside Uran in the next season or so. EQS mainly had spring classic riders when Cavendish signed.
grassmarket
27-02-2015
UCI look to be moving against Astana at last.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...tiur-de-france

It looks that Nibali was an utter fool to get involved with a team with such a dodgy reputation.

And a bump for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Eurosport Sunday 13:45.
Edward_Sloley
27-02-2015
The Licence Commission are yet to decide whether or not to formally agree with the UCI and relieve the squad of their WorldTour licence. After that...here's what could happen according to Cycling Weekly.
gemma-the-husky
27-02-2015
so was nibali clean last year then?
cmq2
28-02-2015
Dame Sarah Storey's hour attempt on the YT UCI channel at 3pm. Preview videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfoSKqd4Fqc
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/31660079
Live updates on @PodiumAmbition

Both men's and women's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad underway. Not clear if the women's race has cameras. Belgian TV is big on Wiggins even interviewing people who knew his father Garry.
cmq2
28-02-2015
Stannard wins OHN again! Unbelievable result from riding over 40km off the front with the EQS trio: Boonen, Terpstra and Vandenberg. Well timed move a couple of kilometres out. Mid-race Sky spent a lot of time on the front.

EQS should have done more to drop him or at least thoroughly work him over before the finale. But a three man chase group at thirty seconds obliged EQS to keep the pace up.

Top racing for the start the 2015 season.
The Net
28-02-2015
Originally Posted by cmq2:
“Stannard wins OHN again! Unbelievable result for riding over 40km off the front with the EQS trio: Boonen, Terpstra and Vandenberg. Well timed move a couple of kilometres out. Mid-race Sky spent a lot of time on the front.

EQS should have done more to drop him or at least thoroughly work him over before the finale. But a three man chase group at thirty seconds obliged EQS to keep the pace up.

Top racing for the start the 2015 season.”

It's a fantastic performance blowing away the Beligian Classic favourites to boot.

Fingers crossed for an Injury free hit season and he goes from strength to strength.
swingaleg
28-02-2015
well done Ian.......fantastic result

let's hope he can win one of the Classics......
fluffed
28-02-2015
Lefervre whinging at Stannard, poor show IMO.. he was never going to help the QS team in that break, would of been suicide. They just really botched the finish is all.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lefe...het-nieuwsblad

On the Sky front, Luke Rowe lead in the bunch and Wiggins finished well up, they're looking a decent classics team this year?
cmq2
28-02-2015
The EPS trio did not pressurise Stannard to contribute. They know how the game is played. Knaven said Stannard would have contributed if the chasers has been close to the catch. EPS got their tactics wrong in the Flanders last year but here circumstances turned against them. Stannard summed it up right though he does not mention he was also cool and strong.
Quote:
“You know, thankfully the guys behind were still really close. Sep Vanmarcke was still riding really hard, and it was always 18 to 20 seconds. So the Etixx guys had to ride hard and it killed them really, at the end. It played into my hands. Doesn’t get any better, does it?”

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/...UJFXX6aVxDX.99

Will Cavendish restore team morale tomorrow? If it comes to a sprint, Bouhanni and Viviani are unproven on cobbles, and Greipel is not riding.
grassmarket
01-03-2015
Good win for Cav, made his way through the pack a bit anonymously and waited for the perfect moment to strike.
Department_S
01-03-2015
Originally Posted by grassmarket:
“Good win for Cav, made his way through the pack a bit anonymously and waited for the perfect moment to strike.”

Great win to be fair! Perfect race for the team. And what a weekend for the Brits. Both weekend Spring classics in the bag.
cmq2
01-03-2015
Matt Stephens nearly outdid Carlton Kirby in busting a blood vessel over the sprint.

Good form and preparation for Cavendish in the run up to Milan Sanremo. He looked completely spent afterwards. The break probably took it out of him. It sounds like the EQS DS opted for the strong men break over waiting for the sprint.

The end looked far too flat for Kristoff but he still took second. Not sure what happened to Bouhanni - pulled out of his pedal? - nearly ending up in the barrier a couple of places behind Viviani.
fluffed
01-03-2015
Originally Posted by Department_S:
“Great win to be fair! Perfect race for the team. And what a weekend for the Brits. Both weekend Spring classics in the bag.”

Don't think the KBK and Omloop are classics, but good Brit wins anyway.
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